"We ran 80-plus calls," Martens said, although he did not have a breakdown on how many were for fireworks. Cal Fire-Butte County had extra personnel on duty.

Prevention staff has the ability to write tickets, and Martens said he wouldn't be surprised if many people received violations.

Fireworks are only allowed within the city limits of Oroville and Gridley.

If there were any small fires caused by fireworks, they did not require a second engine, he said.

The story was similar in Chico.

Chico Fire Department dedicated its new fast-response vehicle to fireworks patrol. The vehicle is a specialized pick-up truck that can serve medical calls, without needing to send out a full engine with a ladder. For fireworks patrol, this worked really well Friday night.

Ethan Rowe had to chase down those calls, 23 over a 24-hour period.

Chico fire only responded when complaints were made, but undoubtedly there were many more fireworks lit that were not reported.

The tough part is that once firefighters arrive, the excitement has come and gone.

"They buy their couple of fireworks, set them off and they are done," Roew said. "A couple of people we caught red-handed," but everyone was "cordial".

There were no fires directly related to fireworks Friday night, he said.

The drought has brought an increased need for people to be careful about fire prevention, including not using equipment on windy days, keeping areas near structures clear of dry grass and material that can catch fire, and not parking vehicles on top of grass.